Connection
by Echo-Dollhouse18
Summary: In a universe where you feel the pain and emotions of your Soul Mate, Carlton is one of the rare ones. Where his bond was made when he was 7 and can remember everything about his.


Okay. So I did something similar with Supernatural and then this pairing got into my head as I wondered what would happen. So I wrote it.

Disclaimer: Psych does not belong to me. Otherwise I would still have new eps premier.

* * *

Carlton was 7 when his mom explained what happened.

He was at home, doing some homework while his mom made dinner, Lauren was taking a nap and his brother was watching TV.

Something hit him all of a sudden.

Tears started falling from his eyes. All his nerves felt constricted, then on fire, then he felt...he's not entirely sure. He feels like something fantastic just happened. He's just not sure what and he couldn't stop crying.

"Carlton, what's wrong?" His mom asked when she saw her son in tears.

"I don't know." Carlton replied looking at his mom with tears falling.

"Talk to me." His mom said, kneeling down to his height in the chair.

"I feel fine. Not hurt. Happy. But still sad. And, something." Carlton explained as best as he could. He started shaking slightly. "What's wrong? I can't stop crying."

"Oh, sweetie." Mona said, hugging her son. "Come with me." She said standing up and holding his hand. She took him into the kitchen and picked him up so he could sit on the counter. "There's nothing wrong."

"Then why am I crying?" Carlton asked, confused.

"It means your Soul Mate has been born. That's all." She explained with a gentle smile. "There's a way people find the person they're meant to be with. When you're in pain, but nothing around you caused it, that's them. They got hurt. Or you feel happy all of a sudden. When you were just crying, that's their feelings."

"We feel other's pain?" Carlton asked, tears finally stopping, but there were still tracks down his cheeks. "And their happy feelings?"

"All their emotions that they feel really deep down." Mona answered. "And when we are near the person, the pain will dull down. When you touch them, no pain will be felt."

"Then this was them?" Carlton asked, feeling like he was finally understanding.

"It was. Your person was just born. That's what you felt. It's pretty rare. That means your special." She said.

Carlton nodded, then motioned to his mom that he wanted to get down. As soon as she let him down, he went straight to his room and marked on the calendar he had.

He put a giant star on this day.

February 4, 1969.

XxXx

Through out the years, Carlton noticed a few things about his person. And about his "connection."

1) Babies are easily happy, sad, mad, hungry, everything. And they feel that way intensely.

Which always lead to him feeling that way.

After his person was born, his mom told the rest of the family. His brother teased him, and his father looked annoyed. Then his school had to be informed, as is protocol. Which lead to him getting teased at school as well (by boys) or questioned (by girls).

When his person was happy, he was taking a test and couldn't stop giggling.

When they were sad or annoyed, which was often to Carlton's dismay, he was usually eating lunch, or at recess, or one time in the middle of a presentation.

When they were hungry, his stomach hurt until they finally ate.

When they were excited, Carlton became anxious.

When they were scared by someone, Carlton would jump and, one time, scream.

Carlton was also tired most of the time. So many emotions, and they didn't sleep at proper times. Or calm down. It took them a couple of months until Carlton could finally sleep at the right hours.

He hated them for the first year and a few more months after that.

2) Once he was 9, his mom warned him of something called "the terrible twos." She said it was like the time Lauren would cry and scream for not getting her way. Or just yell and throw tantrums for no reason.

Carlton immediately knew he had tough times ahead of him.

Then he thought of something. Or remembered actually.

They could feel him too.

So, when he felt the anger rise up that wasn't his, he'd think of the happiest thing he could think of. Or he'd play with his toy cop car, which always calmed him down.

He did other things too. Anything to calm him down greatly and made him happy.

And it worked. He thinks.

Some of the time he could feel the anger start up, then he would try his hardest and the anger stopped.

So what he did worked, not all the time, but most of it.

3) They had a good family.

He knew this because when his father left him, he was glad. He was a drunk and didn't deserve his mom. He hit his mom and brother. And he looked at Lauren weirdly.

So, Carlton was glad his dad left.

Really.

He was.

Crying silently into his pillow, he told himself this over and over.

Then he felt himself calm down. He knew immediately it came from them, and it helped.

They were only 5 at this point, so he doesn't think they told him about the connection. Or if they even had one.

But he appreciated it none the less.

It helped him through that.

4) They learned about the connection, and are annoying.

They have to know about it. Carlton is 15 and he keeps feeling what they are doing.

Sharp small pricks on his hand or wrists. Some stabbing pain in his upper thigh. Sharp and dull pain in his stomach.

It was annoying and painful. Even if they were small and dull, the fact his person was deliberately hurting them self made Carlton mad.

It was distracting enough that he felt the pain, it got worst when the pain all of a sudden stopped.

"Do you think they're okay, Sheriff?" Carlton asked one day as he was sitting in the Sheriff's station in Old Senora.

"Of course." Hank replied with an easy smile, looking over the kid who was relaxing in the extra chair. "She probably just realized what she was doing to you."

"They." Carlton said, nodding to what Hank said. "You shouldn't assume anything about the person you're connected to." Hank laughed at that. "Very true, Binky."

Carlton was walking around after that conversation, thinking of what Hank said. He was grateful that they stopped hurting themselves. But no pain scared him a bit. He knew he'd feel it intensely if they...passed. So that's not what happened.

He was too deep in thought to notice where he was going. He bumped into some tourists and landed badly on the Saloon steps.

Immediately Beth, a town girl, helped him up.

He was clutching his left side in pain. Beth took him to Sarah, the nurse. There was a huge bruise on his left side from the fall.

Sarah looked at him, and informed him he hadn't broken or cracked anything. She gave him some pain killers and let him go.

During the whole check up, Carlton couldn't focus on what was happening. He could feel such happiness from his connection.

He realized they just wanted confirmation that they had someone out there for them.

XxXx

Through out the years, Carlton worked towards his goal, Chief of Police.

He started and completed his degree in Criminology.

He got married and separated.

Victoria had always wanted to find her person, even though it was a 1:6 billion chance.

She explained it to him over their dinner, and he understood.

Really he did.

He just wishes they were each other's connection. As opposed to the one he thinks is them.

Carlton first noticed when he had handcuffed Shawn Spencer outside Mr. Macallum's house. He did them extra tight, because Shawn was getting on his nerves. And once Shawn got out of his grasp and was doing his antics, his own wrists started to have a dull ache.

Second time something like that happened, it was the spelling bee. He saw Shawn limping and favoring one leg over the other during his "reveal." Carlton remembered the intense pain he felt in the same leg Shawn was trying to not use that was now a dull ache. Then Shawn said "...and the van that tried to run me off the road the other night." Once all was said and done, Carlton got a copy of that accident report. It was around the same time he felt it.

Then there was the when they all tried to get the money from his old case. And when Shawn fell into the ditch during his civil war reenactment.

By the time he had his dinner with Victoria, he realized his pain and Shawn's pain started matching up a lot.

Now he was sitting at his desk, staring at his screen.

He groaned because he just got the final piece of the puzzle. Shawn's birthday was the date he always marked with a star on his calendars. Every year. Part of him wanted to check the time, but he didn't write that down and his mom wouldn't know. Not like he could remember it either.

"You okay, Lassiter?" O' Hara asked standing in front of him with the paper work he asked for.

Carlton nodded and held his hand out for the papers.

"It's nothing relevant." He replied. He closed the window with that information as he looked through the paper work about their recent case. He knew what was going to happen next.

"Jules!"

That was going to happen.

"Hey, Lassie." Shawn said sitting on his desk. "Is that a new case? Need out help?" He asked grabbing the file that held the paperwork together.

Carlton grabbed it back. "No we don't. Now beat it, Spencer."

"Aw, come on, Lassie." Shawn whined.

Carlton ignored him as he looked over the case.

"Suicide." Shawn read over Carlton's shoulder.

"Gun shot to the head." Gus read over the other shoulder.

"Oh. Copy of the note." Shawn said grabbing the copy out of the file.

Him and Gus were reading the note while O' Hara looked at him oddly.

"What?" Carlton snapped.

"You're letting them read the letter." She smiled. "It's nice to see you cooperating."

"It's a suicide, plain and simple. The letter proves it. It'll be easier to get rid of them like that." Carlton explained putting the open file on his desk, waiting for them to give him back the note.

"This doesn't prove it's a suicide." Shawn said, holding the letter up.

Gus was in tears. "It's so sad."

"Come on, man."

"I'm a sympathetic crier, Shawn."

"No one's crying."

"The dead guy was." Gus retorted. "And it was sad."

"So his bonded died. That doesn't mean it's suicide." Shawn said holding the copy up. "Plenty of people still function after they lose their bond."

"But his bond was made when he was 10." O' Hara said, remembering the letter specifics.

"So there was an age gap. That doesn't mean he killed himself." Shawn said. He looked towards Carlton, hoping to find the man who never has emotions about his cases to believe this. "Come on, Lassie. You don't believe this, do you?"

"I do." Carlton replied honestly.

Shawn raised his eyebrow at Carlton. "Seriously?"

Carlton glanced at Shawn and saw the disbelief. "Yes, Spencer. I do. When I was 7 mine was made. I know what he's talking about. If it's a fake, then its a good one." He stood up and grabbed the letter out of Shawn's hands. "Now if you idiots are done trying to make nothing, something. I have actual work to do."

He sat down, and started to fill out the end of the paper work for this case.

"You were seven?" O' Hara asked.

Carlton looked up and saw they were all sitting around his desk. Everyone had an interested look on their faces.

He berated himself for letting that slip. Most people's connection were a couple years or a couple months. Any greater then 5 were rare. So their curiosity was understandable.

Still, "No."

"Carlton."

"No."

"Do you remember it? When they were born?" Gus asked, leaning in a bit.

"I'm not answering any questions." He growled.

"Come on." Shawn begged.

"O' Hara. Don't you have paperwork?" He snapped looking at his partner. He then looked at the other two. "And don't you two need to beg a job of the Chief so you can stay in business?"

"She's in a meeting." Gus replied, not backing off.

"And she already threw us out. Twice." Shawn said.

"So?" O' Hara asked again.

Carlton ignored them for a few more minutes, and they switched topics.

He internally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew it would come up again, but he was safe for now.

XxXx

It lasted a few days, until Shawn and Gus tracked him and Juliet at their lunch.

"So, I've been thinking of Ben Tompkins." was what Shawn opened up with as he and Gus sat across from Carlton and Juliet.

"Who?" Juliet asked, because she was nice.

"The suicide-bond guy." Gus clarified.

"What about him?" Juliet asked.

"He never met his guy."

"Person." Carlton clarified.

"I've heard it both ways."

"That doesn't mean anything Spencer."

"Actually," Gus said, defending his friend. "the majority of suicides because of their bonds are them knowing each other."

"That is true." Juliet confirmed.

"Plus, that letter's all we have that points to suicide."

"Besides the GPR on his hands, that were holding the gun, and the bullet and bullet hole that matches the one in the gun. And the correct trajectory." Carlton said watching the waiter hand Gus and Shawn menus.

"And that stuff." Shawn said, dismissing it.

Carlton then knew what this was. It was an ambush.

"Maybe we should look back into it." And that's when he realized Juliet was in on it as well.

"It was a suicide." Carlton said. "And if you feel this strongly about it, Spencer, how come the spirits haven't interfered?"

"I wasn't at the scene. It takes longer to commune with them when I get all the information later." Shawn said, looking at Carlton. "And just because you were in a similar bond experience-"

"Spencer." Carlton snapped, glaring at the psychic. "I don't let my emotions rule me. Just because that's how you operate doesn't mean everyone does. Evidence supports the suicide claim."

"Your emotions seem to rule you when the bond is brought up."

"It's a personal matter."

"So, it's emotional to talk about. And if you feel this strongly about the bond that you won't talk to anyone about your own then maybe you shouldn't be-"

"Fine! Ask me anything!" Carlton yelled at Shawn. And he saw the smug smirk that was on Shawn's face right after he spoke those words. Carlton hated himself for taking the obvious bait, but before he could take it back or take a breath to calm down, Gus spoke up.

"Do you remember what it was like? Their birth?"

"Yes." Carlton answered.

The waiter came by and collected their orders. It got silent for a few seconds until Juliet asked, "How'd it feel?"

"No."

"Come on Lassie." Shawn begged.

"Your lucky I'm not kicking you out of this place, Spencer. Don't push it."

"Gus is the one that's mainly curious." Shawn stated smiling.

"Me too." Juliet said.

Their food arrived and Carlton was glad, cause this meant the conversation was most likely going to change.

"Sorry buddy. Guess Lassie isn't a sharing and caring person." Shawn said, patting his friend on the back.

Gus rolled his eyes at his friend then looked right at Carlton. "Look man. I'm just curious because I've always wondered how it is when you gain the bond instead of born with one or gain one when your younger. You actually know and remember it. Yeah, there's books and stuff. But the majority of those are liars wanting to gain a few bucks."

Carlton sighed at that. "They are."

Silence came over their table, then Carlton spoke up.

"Tight." He said. They all looked at him while Carlton gained a far away look as he remembered the feeling. "At the beginning, I just felt tight all over. Then my nerves sort of, vibrated, I guess. They did that a burned a bit, but it was a good burn. And i just felt, right." He gained a small smile as he remembered the feeling. He truly loved when it happened, he thinks that's why he cried so much then. Then he realized he was in front of others and put his face back into neutral. "There."

"Sounds nice." Juliet commented, with a dreamy look on her face and looking at her partner.

"Sounds amazing." Gus commented looking at his food.

"Sounds cliche." Shawn said, rolling his eyes. "Do you at least know who gave you this feeling?"

"Are you asking if I know who shares my connection?" Carlton asked, side glancing Shawn.

"Yes."

"No."

"You don't know?" Gus asked, confused. "Thought since you know the day they were born, It would be easier."

"No, I've done my personal sharing for the next decade." Carlton answered, looking at them.

Gus and Juliet nodded while Shawn was staring at Carlton.

XxXx

Since the lunch, Shawn was watching Carlton more so then anyone else.

It was annoying him more then any antic Shawn had ever done to him.

Then Carlton got hurt. He dislocated his shoulder when a perp decided to fight the detective. He had two days free of the Psych agency, and was hoping to not see Shawn.

Then as he came back from the file room and to his desk, he over heard Gus and Shawn talking.

"Are you sure we should be here?"

"We need a case, Gus."

"But your hurt Shawn. Maybe we should take an easy one and draw it out or something."

Shawn's hurt? Carlton didn't feel any new pain. Maybe Shawn's not his connected.

... Why does that thought make him sad?

"Gus." Shawn sighed. "For the last time, it's my bonded that's injured. Not me."

Oh. Yeah. Make sense. Carlton thought looking at his shoulder in the sling.

"So? Your still in pain. At least take some aspirin. Or a sling! I can get you a ling."

"Gus, dude. Calm down. You've never been this concerned before." Shawn said.

"Now we're co-workers in a job that, for some reason requires us to be able to out run bullets and catch bad guys."

"We have a physically tiring job."

"So you should-"

"Nothing will help." Shawn sighed once again. "You've done the research. You know. If they took pain killers, then maybe. But they're being a tough guy and bearing the pain." Shawn explained. "Plus, it's actually dulled down since we entered."

Gus sighed at that.

Carlton looked at his shoulder. He shifted it and bite back a yelp of pain.

Shawn, however, took in a sharp breath.

"You okay Spencer?" Carlton asked as he walked up to them. Shawn had his left hand over his right shoulder. The same one Carlton had in a sling.

"Uh...Yeah. Totally." Shawn responded with.

Carlton knew it wouldn't be long now until Shawn put all the pieces together. He also knew Shawn would be asking questions that Carlton wouldn't answer usually.

He went to his desk and sat down to get on his computer, assuming they were going to follow him.

Once he looked over his monitor, he saw both Gus and Shawn looking at him and whispering.

'I give him a few days.' Carlton thought to himself with a small smile, then continued working.

XxXx

"Heard some poor guy tried to take you on." Shawn said as a greeting the next day. Gus was behind at Juliet's desk.

"Yep." was all Carlton supplied.

"When did it happen?"

"Juliet didn't tell you when you asked her?" Carlton asked with his eyebrow raised.

Shawn smirked. "Nah, she did. Just wanted to know more about it I guess."

"Thanks for your concern, Spencer. Truly heart warming." Carlton replied with.

Shawn stared at him for a few minutes while he finished up a report on the computer.

"When was he born?"

Carlton looked up at Shawn confused. "What?"

"Your bonded. You remember his birthday every year. You seem like the type. When is it?" Shawn clarified, leaning on Carlton's desk with a smug smirk on his lips, and a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes.

Carlton leaned back in his chair. He felt the small smile on his lips.

He was silent. Wondering if he should drag this out for a while longer.

Then he read the anxiety in Shawn's posture and worry in his eyes. The confidence was wavering.

"February 4, 1969." Carlton replied. He instantly saw the hope and happiness bloom over Shawn's features. However, he still saw some worry.

Carlton rolled his eyes at that and leaned forward into Shawn's space and grabbed one of Shawn's arms that was resting on Carlton's desk.

"Get it, Spencer?" Carlton asked, shoving the arm off his desk.

"Got it." Shawn responded with a smile on his face.

"Good." Carlton said, leaning back in his chair.

"Yep. Yeah. Totally." Shawn said, turning around to Gus and walked to him.

Carlton watched as Shawn went up to Gus and Juliet and started just talking to them. Part of Carlton wanted to stop him. Make sure Shawn knew what was happening and that he should not tell anyone in the department.

But he saw how big Shawn's smile was as he grabbed Gus by the shoulder and guided his friend out the door.

It was about an hour or two after Shawn left that he got a text.

'_I told Gus. He's passed out on the floor right now. You get Jules and Chief. Sucker. And we should totally go out now. Your shift ends at 9 right? I'll bring the Hawaiian pizza, beers, and ice cream. I'll let myself in. See ya then!_'

Carlton rolled his eyes and smiled at his phone.

"What's up Carlton?" Juliet asked as she walked to him.

"My bonded." He replied, easily.

"What? I need to know who." Juliet demanded putting her hands on his desk.

"Later." He replied. He handed the files to Juliet that she was coming over to get anyways.

Carlton knew Shawn would ask all the questions he always hated answering. And he knew he had to tell Juliet and Chief as is the protocol. And anything he told Shawn was going to be repeated and exaggerated to everyone in the precinct.

He was perfectly okay with that.

* * *

So, please review? If you like it.


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